T20 World Cup 2026: ‘Feels less pressure when batting down the order’ – Sanjay Manjrekar’s huge statement on Team India star after IND vs ZIM match

The Indian team management pulled off a masterstroke in their important Super 8 clash against Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday, February 26. Tilak Varma, who had been struggling for fluency while batting at No. 3 in the tournament, dropped down to No. 6 and made an immediate impact. The southpaw smashed an unbeaten 44 off 16 balls, belting three fours and four sixes against the Chevrons.

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar opined that Tilak takes more pressure when he is batting at No. 3, but that is not the case when he bats lower down the order. The cricketer-turned-commentator also mentioned that Tilak batting at No. 6 gives Hardik Pandya a chance to bat higher up the order. He added that he was surprised to see Washington Sundar batting ahead of Hardik in the game against South Africa.

“Tilak Varma down the order. Good move from India. I’ve seen this guy bat down the order. I just feel that he feels less pressure when batting down the order as opposed to number three. So I think that is the slot for him in the bigger game that will come after this, which also means that Hardik Pandya got a chance to bat higher up in the batting order. I was just staggered when I saw Washington Sundar bat at number five in the last game against South Africa and Hardik Pandya at number seven,” he said in a video on his Instagram handle.

Manjrekar also heaped praise on Abhishek Sharma, who finally returned to form after scoring just 15 runs in his first four innings in the tournament. The opening batter slammed 55 off 30 balls, and what impressed Manjrekar the most was how he waited for the slower deliveries instead of swinging his bat beforehand.

“Yes, he got a 50 but the most important thing was he handled the slow ball beautifully. A couple of sixes that he hit where he sort of waited for the slow ball to come to him, spotted it very early but didn’t go after it. Just waited for it to come close to him and then the big swing of the bat came to put that ball in the stand. So some very positive signs with India’s batting because that was more of a worry than the bowling,” Sanjay Manjrekar added.

India amassed 256/4 in their 20 overs, with Hardik also contributing with a half-century. In reply, Zimbabwe were restricted to 184/6, with Arshdeep Singh starring with a three-for.

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